US2246358A

US2246358A - Convertible end gate hinge

Info

Publication number: US2246358A
Application number: US329440A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph F Jelinek; O'reilly Emmet
Original assignee: ST PAUL HYDRAULIC HOIST COMPAN
Current assignee: ST PAUL HYDRAULIC HOIST Co; ST PAUL HYDRAULIC HOIST COMPAN
Priority date: 1940-04-13
Filing date: 1940-04-13
Publication date: 1941-06-17
Anticipated expiration: 1958-06-17

Description

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W W? EL J F JELHNEK mm 7 CONVERTIBLE END GATE HINGE Filed April 13, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l M JW Hum? 11 J. 1F". JELINIEK ET AL.

CONVERTIBLE END GATE HINGE Filed April 13, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 17, 1941 Joseph ,Jelinek, -.Minneapolis, and Emmet OReilly, St. [Pan], Minn.,;assi gnors to St. Paul Hydraulic Hoist Company, Minneapolis, Minn, acorporationof Michigan Application-April 13, 1940,Serial No. 329,440

.hioolaims. (o1. 16-163) This invention relates "to improvements intail gate hinges as usedfor connecting and supporting the tail or rear end gatein'adumptruck bo'dy.

'Such gates areusually arrangedto hinge "at either lower or upper edges in ordertd-swing downward or upward when released, according to the kind 'of "material being hauled. In dumping material, particularly of'a nature'inwhich the component parts are large and have a tendency to clingtogether, it is desirable that the gate openupwardly and also shift bodily upward from thetruck body in order to give the greatest possible dumping opening. Top hinges for thispurpose have been usedrbut they are of such nature that-they cannot operate when a top box is used atop the-truckbody unless the-box is shortened to clear at'its rear end, andthey are 'further so constructed-that they provide an unsightly projection above the corner posts andare exposed to considerable danger of breakage.

Our invention provides a convertible typeof hinge .bywhich thetail gate may be'hinged to swing in usual mannerwhen a top box is used on the truck body'and then, by a simple change requiring no tools, arranged to shift upward-as'it is opened to provide a larger opening-when dumping such materials as brush, garbagal and the like. Another object is toprovidea hinge structure of this kind in which all *parts are disposed below the level of the 'body corner post and are thus'protectedand concealed. A furtherobject is to provide an improved end gate construction ofthis'nature having means for receiving and concealing the usual spreader chains when not in use. 1

These and other more detailed andspecific ob jects will be disclosed in the course of thefollowing specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which- Fig.1 is aperspective View of the rearportion of a truck body showing -our improved hinge structure supportingthe tail gate at a position giving the maximum dumping opening.

Fig. 2 is a similar view but showing the-hinge structure arranged for use Where a top box'is employed on the body and showing the tailgate swung partially open. 1

Fig. 3 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of one otthe hinge bracket members.

Fig. l'is an enlarged side elevation ofa rear portion of thetruck body showingthe tail gate in closed position and sshowingiaifragment.of a top box arranged on thebody.

. Fig. 5 is a, similar zviewzofzan .upper lrear 1130131 tionof-the'body showing a modified hinge structure and a-side'board on the body, a portion of thecornerpost'being broken away to better disclose the hinge construction.

Fig; 6 is a-plan view of a rear corner portion of the truck l body and binge structure.

Fig.''? is an enlarged elevational view of the locking pin forthe hinge.

Fig.z8 is asimilar view of the retaining link for the locking pin.

Referring now more particularly andby reference characters to the drawings, a substantially conventional type of truck body is indicatedgenerally at A, and the tail orend gate therefor at B. The! body A comprises the bottom or-floor l0 and upstanding sides II, and is open at therear to permit dumping of material outwardly and rearwardly. The rear opening is normally closed by thetail gateB, which is accordingly of the properdimensionand shape for'the purpose.

.The sides H terminate rearwardlyin upstanding corner posts l2to whichthe gate 13 is adapted to be;hinged"and for this purpose conventional, combination lower hinge and latch units 13 are secured to the rear lower faces of the corner posts. Lower corners of the gate B are then provided with laterally extended'hinge studs JM adapted to pivot in said units l3 when the gate is to be swung downwardly andrearwardly as for instance for shoveling material fromthe truck body. The units liiyhowever, include latch members l5:which, whenoperated by the conventional forwardly located lever (not shown), release the studs 14 allowing the gate to swing free at its lower edge. This is of course the actionwhen the-body is tilted rearwardly for dumping and for this purpose the tail gate is arranged also'to hinge at its upper edge as will now be described.

The corner posts 12 have their upper ends recessed off at upper rear portions as designated at [6 to receive thereon the hinge mounting'or bracket members I! which are welded'inthese recesses to lie flush with the topofthe-posts. The said members ll are channel shaped and comprisethe longitudinally extended and upright sides .orplates 18 joined by a forwardendor bight l9 and .spacedlower Webs 2t to define therebetween a channel or grooves as .clearly shown. :Hinge links or bars 2i are adapted to. lie and swing freely. in these channels in the members IT, and at one (rear) end these links are. pivotally mounted at upper lateral corners of the tailgate B upon ,short studs. 22- (see Fig.6) extended therefrom. Saidstuds .22 are'extended from :end .zplatesul Bsecuredutorthe: ends. eithatail gate and the links are retained in place by collars 24 secured to the studs.

The sides I 8 of the members I! have longitudinally spaced front and

rear openings

25 and 26 transversely aXised as shown to register with similarly spaced

openings

21 and 28 in the links 2|. Locking pins 29 may thus be inserted through either the forward or rear openings to mount the links in the bracket members, and these pins have heads 39 at inner ends and circumferential grooves 3| near their outer ends to receive locking links 32. The links 32 have narrow ends 33 adapted to frictionally engage the grooves 3| and retain the pins in place, the links being of course releasable from the pins by moving them endwise to permit their longer ends 34 to clear. Short tie chains 35 secured at 36 to outer sides of the corner posts are connected as shown to the links 32 to prevent their becoming lost.

In operation the tail gate 13 may of course be lowered from its hinged connection with the units |3 in usual manner, and the lock pins 29 are removed for this operation so that the links 2| may hang free. When it is desired to hinge the tail gate from the upper edge then the links 2| are placed in the members H and the pins 29 are inserted through the

rear openings

26 and 28 locking the links against either upward or downward movement in. the said members and allowing the gate to swing freely from the pivots 22 as shown in Fig. 2. This operation of the gate permits the mounting of the top box as shown at 31 in Fig. 4 without interference.

In the dumping of large materials it is, as heretofore stated, of advantage to have the greatest possible dumping opening, and for this purpose the lock pins 29 may be removed from the

rear opening

26 and 23 and moved to the

forward openings

25 and 21, whereupon the links 2| may swing bodily upward at their rear ends as the gate opens, as clearly seen in Fig. l. The opening is thus increased by the amount of this upward extension of the links, across the entire width of the body, and is obviously of substantial benefit in operation.

The links 2| may thus be either locked in place (pins in rear openings) by contact with the mounting members H, or may be left free at their rear ends (pins in forward openings) to support the gate without downward displacement, but allow it to shift bodily upward when opened in the dumping operation. In the closed position of the tail gate, in either position of the pins, the links are received and enclosed below the level of the upper end of the corner posts I! and are thus protected from breakage by the shovel usually employed in. filling the truck.

The convertible feature of the hinge is of further advantage since the top box 31 may, as shown, extend clear to the rear end of the truck body and, since the box is usually employed only when handling light and bulky materials such as coal, the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 with the gate swinging from the rigidly supported links will then provide an entirely adequate dumping opening for such materials. On the other hand, the arrangement of free links as shown in Fig. 1 will of course not operate effectively with the overhanging box in place, but this action is not gate B. In this manner the links may be rigidly mounted with respect to the gate, and the locking pins 29 are of course then placed through the

forward openings

25 and 21 to provide an opening action similar to that in Fig. 1. Also as shown in this view the corner posts I2 are, as usual, provided with forwardly and upwardly opening pockets or recesses, one of which is shown at 40. The conventional side boards, one of which is shown at 4|, may be arranged in these pockets to slightly increase the capacity of the body, and the hinge mechanism will of course work in either manner described where such boards are used, as will be apparent.

- When the tail gate is opened as shown in Fig. 2, spreader chains 42 are usually employed at each end' tolimit the movement. These chains are connected at one end to staples 43 on the ends of the gate, and when in use are trained downwardly within clips 44 near the lower edge of the gate, and are then turned forwardly and hooked at their ends in openings 45 formed in rear faces of the corner posts l2. Likewise when the gate is opened in a downward direction the chains 42 are hooked'at their ends in other openings 46 near upper ends of the corner posts, and the chains of course limit the opening movement in either direction. However, when the gate is closed the chains are not in use, and they have hitherto been allowed to dangle free, causing an undue noise and wear. In accordance with our invention the tail gate is formed with the reinforcing, hollow, rearwardly projecting marginal portions 41 and center portions 48, and the end portions are provided with openings 49 adjacent the staples 43 to which the chains are connected. It is thus possible, as shown in Fig. 4, to insert the loose ends of the chains through these openings and tuck the entire length of the chains within the hollow ends of the gate to prevent this noise and wear.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fully illustrated and described our invention, what we claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A hinge for connecting the upper corner of a tail gate to the rear corner of a truck body, comprising a bracket member secured to the body, the said member including spaced upstanding side portions defining a longitudinal rearwardly and upwardly opening space therebetween and having front and rear transverse apertures, a link pivotally connected at one end to the tail gate and extending therefrom forwardly between the said side portions, means supporting the link against downward movement with respect to the bracket member, the said link having apertures spaced apart to register with the apertures in the side portions, and a locking pin adapted for insertion in either the front or rear apertures in the side portions and in the link to thereby selectively pivotally or rigidly support the link in the bracket member.

2. A hinge for connecting the upper corner of a tail gate to the rear corner of a truck body, comprising a bracket member secured to the body, the said member including spaced upstanding side portions defining a longitudinal rearwardly and upwardly opening space therebetween and having front and rear transverse apertures, a link pivotally connected at one end to the tail gate and extending therefrom forwardly between the said side portions, the said link having apertures spaced apart to register with the apertures in the said side portions, a locking pin for removable insertion in either the front or rear apertures in the sides and link, and means on the bracket member extending between the side portions thereof for preventing downward movement of the front and rear ends of the link.

3. A hinge for connecting a tail gate to a truck body, comprising a link pivotally connected to the gate and extending forwardly therefrom, means on the body for supporting the link against downward movement relative to the body, the said link having spaced apertures forwardly of its pivotal connection with the gate, and means for selective engagement with the said apertures for mounting the link rigidly or pivotally with respect to the body.

4. A hinge device for connecting a tail gate to a truck body, comprising a link pivotally connected at one end to the gate and extending forwardly therefrom, a bracket member secured to the truck body and having means for receiving a forward end portion of the link means rigid with respect to the body engaging the underside of that portion of the link within the bracket member to thereby support the link against downward movement with respect to said body, the said bracket member and link having forwardly and rearwardly spaced registering apertures, and a pin for selective insertion in the said apertures to pivotally mount the link for upward swinging movement at its forward end or rigidly mount the link and restrain the same against such movement,

5. A gate hinge for use on a dump truck having a tail gate and a side member forming a part of the truck body, comprising a bracket member secured to a rear corner portion of the side member and recessed downwardly therein to lie flush with the upper surface of the side member, a link pivotally connected at one end to the gate and extending forwardly therefrom alongside the bracket member, means for pivotally mounting the link to the bracket member, means also for rigidly mounting the link with respect to the bracket member, the said link being adapted to lie flush with the upper edge of the bracket member when rigidly mounted thereto.

6. A gate hinge for a truck body having a tail gate, comprising a substantially U-shaped bracket secured to the body and including spaced, longitudinally extending side portions defining a channel opening upwardly and rearwardly, a link pivotally connected at one end to the gate and extending forwardly therefrom into said channel and supported by the bracket against downward displacement, and means for pivotally or rigidly mounting the link at its forward end portion in the channel, the said sides of the bracket member engaging the sides of the link to brace the same against transverse movements.

7. A hinge for connecting a tail gate to a truck body, comprising a link pivotally connected at a rear end to the tail gate and extending forwardly therefrom, a rigid member on the body engaging the lower edge and at least one side of the forward portion of the link, means engageable with a forward end of the link and supporting the link for upward swinging movement with respect to the body, and means selectively engageable with the link for restraining the same against said upward swinging movement,

8. A hinge mounting for the tail gate of a truck body comprising a pair of parallel links pivotally connected at rear ends to the upper corners of the gate and extending forwardly therefrom for normal resting positions upon adjacent side walls of the truck body, said construction permitting the gate to swing on an axis extending through said pivot connections without moving the links from their normal resting position, means for pivotally connecting the forward ends of the links to the truck body whereby the gate and links may swing on an axis that is spaced forwardly from said first mentioned axis, and means effective to lock the links in their aforesaid resting positions upon the side walls to thereby prevent the swinging movements of the links with respect to the truck body without interfering with the swinging movement of the gate on the first mentioned axis.

9. A hinge mounting for the tail gate of a truck body comprising a pair of parallel links pivotally connected at rear ends to the upper corners of the gate and extending forwardly therefrom for normal resting positions upon adjacent side walls of the truck body, said construction permitting the gate to swing on an axis extending through said pivot connections without moving the links from their normal resting position, means for pivotally connecting the forward ends of the links to the truck body whereby the gate and links may swing on an axis that is spaced forwardly from said first mentioned axis, means effective to lock the links in their aforesaid resting positions upon the side walls to thereby prevent the swinging movements of the links with respect to the truck body while permitting the swinging movement of the gate on the first mentioned axis, and means for selectively locking the gate against swinging movements on the said first mentioned axis and with respect to the links while said links are free to swing about the aforesaid forwardly located axis on the truck body.

10. A hinge mounting for the tail gate of a truck body comprising a pair of parallel links pivotally connected at rear ends to the upper corners of the gate, brackets mounted on the truck body and having means for engaging lower edge portions of the links, the said links extending forwardly from the gate for normal resting positions in the brackets and supporting the gate for swinging movement about said rear end pivotal connections with the links, means for pivotally connecting forward ends of the links to the brackets to permit swinging movements of the links in vertical planes with respect to the brackets, means effective to lock the links against the aforesaid upward swinging movements with respect to the bracket, and means effective to lock said rear end connections between the links and gate against pivotal action when said links are pivotally connected to the brackets.

JOSEPH F. JELINEK. EMMET OREILLY.